High-heel tip protector and repair kit

ABSTRACT

A heel protector for use with a high heel having a heel tip with a bottom surface having a size and shape. The heel protector is a flat material that is substantially sized and shaped to conform to the exact size and shape of the heel tip bottom surface. The heel protector is adhered to the bottom of the high heel tip by an adhesive.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/610,842, filed Mar. 14, 2012, the entire contents of which areincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a high-heel tip protector and repairkit. More particularly, the present invention relates to a high-heel tipprotector and repair kit that is easy to use and doesn't require removalof the high-heel tip.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The heel of a shoe is found at the rear of the shoe and supports theheel of the wearer's foot. In a high-heel shoe, the heel can havedifferent heights, widths, coverings and shapes. A top lift or heel tipis provided at the very bottom of the heel. The heel tip contacts theground and can become worn over time. Traditional heel tips have aplatform shaped to fit the heel, and an elongated metal dowel thatextends upward from the platform, as shown in www.cobblersupplies.com,the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The dowel fitsinto an elongated opening bored in the center of the heel of the shoeand has a flattened top that is embedded in a plastic, rubber, or othermaterial that forms the platform that comes into contact with the groundduring use.

Once the platform of the heel tip becomes worn, the entire heel tip mustbe replaced by pulling the dowel free of the heel using a tool (such aspliers or the like) and inserting a new heel tip. This process isdifficult, costly and can result in damage to the heel, especially whenperformed by a layperson. Also, the placement of the dowel can be offand result in a poor fit. In addition, the elongated bores are not ofuniform size and the plastic platform, as well as the distal end of theshoe heel, have different sizes and shapes. Thus, a user must determinethe precise size of the dowel and shoe heel distal end in order toobtain a properly sized heel tip.

A number of heel protectors have been developed, such as shown in U.S.Pat. Nos. 3,439,435 and 1,263,555, and U.S. Publication No.2013/0042505, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.However, these heel protectors are generally formed as cups having abottom and side walls. The heel tip is placed into the cup, and the sidewalls extend up along the outside of the distal end of the heel.Consequently, these heel protectors are very noticeable during use,especially the side walls that extend along the outside of the heel.And, the side walls of the heel protectors can damage the sides of theheel, which can be made of material such as leather.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a repair for aworn heel tip. It is a further object of the invention to provide arepair for a worn heel tip of a high heel shoe that is easy to apply. Itis yet another object of the invention to provide a heel tip protector.It is a further object of the invention to provide a heel tip protectorthat is easily fit to an existing worn heel tip of a high heel shoe.

A heel protector is provided for use with a high heel having a heel tipwith a bottom surface having a size and shape. The heel protector is aflat material that is substantially sized and shaped to conform to theexact size and shape of the heel tip bottom surface. The heel protectoris adhered to the bottom of the high heel tip by an adhesive.

These and other objects of the invention, as well as many of theintended advantages thereof, will become more readily apparent whenreference is made to the following description, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a side view of a high heel shoe showing the high heel tipprotector in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section exploded view of the heel shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a sheet of high heel tip protectors; and,

FIG. 4 shows a sizing chart for use with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In describing the preferred embodiments of the present inventionillustrated in the drawings, specific terminology is resorted to for thesake of clarity. However, the present invention is not intended to belimited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understoodthat each specific term includes all technical equivalents that operatein a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

Turning to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show the heel protector or pad 50of the present invention. As illustrated, the heel protector 50 isspecifically designed for use with a high heel shoe 10. The heel 12 ofthe shoe is found at the rear of the shoe 10 and supports the heel ofthe wearer's foot. The heel can have different heights, widths,coverings and shapes. A top lift or heel tip 20 is provided at the verybottom or distal end 14 of the heel 12. The heel tip 20 contacts theground. The heel tip 20 has a plastic platform 24 shaped to fit thedistal end 14 of the heel 12, and an elongated metal pin or dowel 26that extends upward from the platform 24. The dowel 26 fits into anelongated bore in the center of the heel 12 of the shoe 10 and has aT-shaped flat metal top or head 22 that is embedded in the plastic orother material that forms the flat platform 24 that comes into contactwith the ground during use.

Over time, the platform 24 of the heel tip 20 can become worn down, evento the point that the metal top 22 and/or distal end 14 of the heel 12is exposed. At that point, as best shown in FIG. 2, the heel protector50 is affixed to the bottom side of the remaining worn plastic platform24, and/or the flat metal head 22 (if exposed), and/or distal end 14 (ifexposed). More specifically, the protector 50 has a top surface 52, abottom surface 54, and one or more sides 56. The top surface 52 is fixedto the platform 24, and/or the head 22 (if exposed through the platform24), and/or the distal end 14 (if exposed) of the heel, such as by glue,fastener, adhesive, or other means. The bottom surface 54 comes intocontact with the ground as the user walks. The protector 50 isrelatively flat and thin and has a rectangular cross section. However,the top and bottom surfaces 52, 54, can have any suitable size andshape, as discussed further below.

The heel protector 50 is designed to substantially match the size andshape of a particular heel tip 20, and particularly the size and shapeof the plastic platform 24. The heel tip protector 50 is preferablysubstantially the same size and shape as the heel tip platform 24, whichin turn is substantially the same size as the distal end 14 of the highheel 12, as shown. Thus, the protector 50 substantially covers theentire bottom surface of the platform 24. The top surface 52 of theprotector 50 extends across the entire bottom surface of the platform24, so that the protector sides 56 are substantially flush (or slightlysmaller than, by up to about 1 mm, preferably 0.5 mm and more preferably0.2 mm) with the platform sides 28.

The protector 50 should not be so large (even by as much as about 0.5-1mm or even 0.2-0.5 mm or less) that it extends over the sides 28 of theheel tip platform 24, since that could potentially catch on the groundsurface, cause the wearer to trip or become unbalanced, and it wouldlook improper. The protector 50 should also not be too small (even by asmuch as about 0.5-1 mm or even 0.2-0.5 mm or less) that it does notreach the sides 28 of the heel tip platform 24, since that could reducetraction, provide incomplete protection to the heel tip, and couldpotentially lead to the wearer being unsteady. In addition, because theprotector 50 substantially has the exact same size and shape as theplatform 24, the surface area is maximized between the two so that astrong adhesion can be provided without having excess adhesive at thesides. In addition, the protector 50 does not detract from the look ofthe shoe and is barely noticeable. The protector 50 preferably is blackto match the color of most heel tips 20, but can be provided in anydesired color.

The heel protector 50 is preferably formed of a material that is durableso that it can withstand continued use. And, is also somewhat flexibleso that it can adapt to and conform with the surface of the worn heeltip, especially if the surface is uneven. It can also be relatively easyto cut with standard scissors so that the user can make smalladjustments to the size or shape to provide a desired fit, if necessary.

For instance, the heel protector 50 can be made of plastic vinyl havinga thickness of up to about 2 mm, and most preferably no greater than 1mm. However, the heel protector 50 can also be made of rubber, alsohaving a thickness up to about 2 mm. At that thickness, the protector 50is sufficiently flexible to conform to the shape of the platform 24, thehead 22 (if exposed), and/or distal end 14 (if exposed), to thereby forma reliable and strong connection to the bottom surface of the platform24. However, the protector 50 should not be too thick (i.e., over 2 mm,and more preferably over 1 mm for vinyl), or it can compress under theweight of the user, thereby extending beyond the sides 28 of theplatform 24. The side edges of the platform 24 and/or the sides 16 ofthe distal end of the heel 12 can be sharp and can cut into any portionof the heel protector 50 that extends beyond the edges of the platform24 and/or distal end of the heel 12. At that thickness, the protector 50is also sufficiently thin that it can be cut with scissors so that auser can make any necessary adjustments to size or shape to obtain aproper fit.

The vinyl can withstand normal temperatures and ranges from −20° F. to160° F., and the glue can withstand temperatures from −65° F. to 180° F.Alternatively, the heel protector can be made of a rubber material orany other suitable material that is durable, has good traction, can haveridges, and is preferably not prone to leaving scuff marks.

As shown in FIG. 3, multiple heel pads or protectors 50 can bemanufactured at one time from a single sheet 100 of material. Multipleheel tips 50 can be punched or stamped from a single sheet 100 ofmaterial, then removed and placed in packaging, such as a bag, pursepouch, and/or box. An assortment of various sizes and/or shapes can beplaced in the same packaging.

Alternatively, the heel tips 50 can be left in place on the sheet 100and held in place by small tab connections that extend between theprotector 50 and the sheet 100. The tab connections can be easily brokenby the user when ready to use so that the heel tips can be removed foruse. The heel tips 50 in the sheet 100 can be a single size and shapefor use on a single pair of high-heel shoes, or can be different sizesand shape for use with different high-heel shoes. The sheet 100 makes iteasy to retain all of the protectors 50 in one place so that a protectorpair does not get separated and lost from each other. And, it makes iteasy for the user to see the various sizes and shapes that areavailable. The size of the protector 50 can also be branded or formed inor on the sheet near to the corresponding protector 50. Though the sheet100 is shown as a square shape having 5 rows of four (two pair)protectors 50, it can have rounded corners or other suitable shapes andsizes.

The invention further includes a high-heel shoe repair kit that has aset of heel protectors 50, sanding paper and super glue. The kit caninclude one or more sheets 100, and each sheet can have multipleprotectors 50 that are all the same size and/or shape, or a combinationof sizes and shapes. In use, the worn heel tip platform 24 is sandeddown slightly using the sanding paper. This creates an even, roughened,and clean surface so that the protector 50 can uniformly bond to thesurface. The sanding paper also allows the user to shape the heel tipand scratch the heel tip surface to improve adhesion. The glue can beany suitable adhesive, such as an instant glue or high strength glue.Once the heel tip platform 24 bottom surface has been prepared bysanding, the glue (a permanent adhesive) is applied to the bottomsurface of the heel tip platform 24, the metal dowel top 22 (ifexposed), the distal end 14 (if exposed), and/or the top surface 52 ofthe protector 50. The proper sized and shaped protector 50 can then beremoved from the sheet 100. The protector 50 is then applied to the heeltip surface and pushed on to ensure a strong adhesion between the heeltip 20 and the heel tip protector 50. Once the glue has dried, the shoecan be used. The sides 56 of the protector 50 can also be sanded, ifneeded, to provide the optimal fit.

The protector 50 is preferably made of vinyl since it adheres well tothe plastic platform 24 using super glue, unlike rubber and plastic.However, the protector 50 can be made of plastic or rubber (or can bebonded to rubber) by using an adhesive that can create a strong bondbetween the platform 24 and the protector 50 materials. In addition, thevinyl or rubber protector 50 can be adhered to a rubber platform 24 byusing an adhesive that can create a strong bond between those materials.The protector 50 is flat without any projections or walls that mightotherwise be used to secure the protector 50 to the platform 24. Thus,the only connection between the protector 50 and the platform 24 is bythe use of an adhesive applied to their respective surfaces, or if thedowel has fallen out or is otherwise removed.

The heel tip protector 50 should be sized so that it substantiallycovers the entire heel tip surface. This provides a brand new surfacefor the heel tip 20 to maximize the duration of the heel tip 20. Thus,the heel tip protector 50 extends the life of the heel tip 20 andprolongs or eliminates the need to remove the dowel 26 from the shoe 10or otherwise replace the entire heel tip 20. Preferably, the heel tipprotector 50 should be applied before the heel tip 20 is worn down tothe metal dowel head 22, and especially before the metal dowel head 22breaks the plane of the heel tip platform 24 and becomes exposed. Ofcourse, the heel protector 50 can be used on a brand new shoe before theheel platform 24 is worn at all, to protect the heel and extend the lifeof the heel tip 20. And, as the protector 50 itself becomes worn, a newprotector 50 can be placed over the worn one (or the worn one can besanded off or removed), to further extend the life of the heel tip 20.In addition, the protector 50 can be placed directly on the distal endof the heel and the dowel rod (if the dowel top 26 is worn away or ifthe dowel is removed or lost).

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the heel tip protector 50can have an adhesive preloaded on the protector surface. A wax paper orthe like can cover the adhesive to prevent it from becoming dirty oradhering to an unintended surface. The wax paper can be removed shortlybefore the protector is applied to the heel tip surface. The preloadedadhesive eliminates the need for separate glue in the kit, and the userneed not place glue on the platform 24 or protector 50.

As shown in FIG. 3, the heel tip protectors 50 can have sort of aU-shape with a straight leading edge at one side 56′ and a roundedtrailing edge at another side 56″. That U-shape is common for women'shigh heels, and the protectors 50 are sized and shaped to exactly matchthose of standard heel tips. For illustration of the invention withoutintending to limit the invention, the protector shape shown in FIG. 3has a U-shape with a length of 12 mm and a longest height (at the centerof the U) of 12 mm. However, any suitable U-shape size can be provided,such as 12×12 mm, 13×13 mm and 14×14 mm, as shown by the sizing 12, 13,and 14 in the figure (though those numbers preferably aren't printed onthe protector).

Of course, any suitable shape and size can be provided, including round,oval and rectangular. The protector 50 is substantially flat, thoughridges or ribs can optionally be formed on the surface of the protectorto increase traction for the wearer. The ridges can be formed, forinstance, by heat pressing them into the surface of the material, or byany other suitable method. In addition, the protector 50 can be providedin any color and the color can be associated with a cause, such as pinkfor breast cancer awareness. A sizing chart can also be provided toenable the user to identify the proper size of protector, such as theone shown in FIG. 4.

It is noted that the invention has been shown and described for use withwomen's high heel shoes, in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe invention. However, the protectors can be used on other shoes notlimited to high heels, such as boots or men's shoes. And, the protectorscan be used on other parts of the shoe, not limited to the heel. Inaddition, more than one protector can be used at a time on a singleheel. For instance, a second protector can be placed on top of a firstprotector. Both protectors can be made of the same material or differentmaterial. And, both protectors can be the same size, or the topprotector can be slightly smaller than the bottom protector so that itdoes not expand beyond the heel sides as it is compressed by the weightof the user. In addition, if a protector is made with a thicker materialfor larger heels, it can be tapered inward slightly so that theprotector does not expand beyond the heel sides as it is compressed bythe weight of the user.

As shown and described, the high heel protector 50 of the presentinvention is a single flat piece of material that is adhered to thebottom of a high heel tip. As such, the protector 50 does not detractfrom the look of the shoe and is barely noticeable during use. Theprotector 50 does not have a cup shape and does not have any side wallsthat extend up along the outside of the distal end of the heel. Thus,the protector 50 does not have any side walls or other features that arenoticeable during use and might otherwise detract from the look of theshoe. Likewise, the protector 50 is adhered to the heel by use of anadhesive such as super glue. The protector 50 does not need anyfasteners—such as tape, screws, nails or the like—which are bulky,noticeable, or otherwise detract from the look of the high heel shoe.And, because the protector 50 does not contact the sides of the heel, itcannot damage the material on the sides of the heel.

The description and drawings of the present invention provided in thepaper should be considered as illustrative only of the principles of theinvention. The invention may be configured in a variety of ways and isnot intended to be limited by the preferred embodiment. Numerousapplications of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in theart. Therefore, it is not desired to limit the invention to the specificexamples disclosed or the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed. Rather, all suitable modifications and equivalents may beresorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

1. A heel protector for use with a high heel having a heel tip with abottom surface having a size and shape, the heel protector comprising: aflat material substantially sized and shaped to conform to the entiresize and shape of the heel tip bottom surface.
 2. The heel protector ofclaim 1, wherein said heel tip includes a flat platform that forms theheel tip bottom surface and has at least one side, the heel tip furtherincluding an elongated dowel with a head coupled with or embedded in theflat platform, wherein said protector further comprises the flatmaterial having at least one side, a top surface and a bottom surface,and wherein each of the at least one side of said flat material issubstantially flush with each of the at least one side of the heel tipplatform, and the top surface is configured to adhere to the heel tipbottom surface.
 3. The heel protector of claim 1, wherein the size andshape of the flat material is substantially the same as the size andshape of the heel tip bottom surface.
 4. The heel protector of claim 1,wherein the flat material comprises vinyl.
 5. The heel protector ofclaim 1, wherein the flat material comprises rubber.
 6. The heelprotector of claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the heel comprisesplastic.
 7. The heel protector of claim 1, wherein the bottom surface ofthe heel comprises rubber.
 8. The heel protector of claim 1, furthercomprising a plurality of heel protectors all formed from a singlesheet, said plurality of heel protectors removably connected to thesingle sheet by a tab.
 9. The heel protector of claim 1, wherein saidflat material is approximately 1-2 mm thick.
 10. The heel protector ofclaim 1, wherein said flat material is sufficiently flexible to conformto the shape of the heel tip bottom surface.
 11. The heel protector ofclaim 1, wherein said heel protector does not extend up along a side ofthe high heel.
 12. The heel protector of claim 1, wherein said heelprotector does not have any side walls.
 13. The heel protector of claim1, said heel protector consisting of said flat material substantiallysized and shaped to conform to the size and shape of the heel tip bottomsurface.
 14. A heel repair kit for use with a high heel having a heeltip with a bottom surface having a size and shape, the heel protectorcomprising: a flat protector having a top surface substantially sizedand shape to conform to the size and shape of the heel tip bottomsurface, sanding paper to prepare the heel tip bottom surface, and anadhesive for bonding the top surface of said flat protector to the heeltip bottom surface.
 15. The heel repair kit of claim 14, furthercomprising a plurality of flat protectors, each of said plurality offlat protectors having a different size and/or shape.
 16. The heelrepair kit of claim 14, wherein said heel tip includes a flat platformthat forms the heel tip bottom surface and has at least one side, theheel tip further including an elongated dowel with a head coupled withor embedded in the flat platform, wherein said protector furthercomprises the flat material having at least one side, a top surface anda bottom surface, and wherein each of the at least one side of said flatmaterial is substantially flush with each of the at least one side ofthe heel tip platform, and the top surface is configured to adhere tothe heel tip bottom surface.
 17. A shoe comprising: a high heel having aheel tip platform with a bottom surface having a size and shape, and aflat heel pad having a top surface substantially sized and shaped toconform to the size and shape of the heel tip platform bottom surface.